Oswald
Oswald is a masculine given name, from Old English Osƿeald, from os "god" and ƿeald "rule". The Old High German cognate was Answald, the Old Norse form was Ásvaldr.
- English
- German
Meaning & Origin of Oswald
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Oswald is a masculine given name, from Old English Osƿeald, from os "god" and ƿeald "rule". The Old High German cognate was Answald, the Old Norse form was Ásvaldr.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- German
The Story of Oswald
Oswald first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 107 Oswalds were born — ranking #552 that year. As of 2026, Oswald ranks #2,019 for baby boys with 77 births, rising sharply (+60% over the past five years). In total, more than 4K Oswalds have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Oswald
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Oswald. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Oswald
Phonetically similar names — useful when Oswald is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Oswald
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About the name Oswald
Oswald is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Oswald's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #451. Use the chart and map above to compare Oswald's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1916 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "O" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.